The Daily News. SATURDAY, APRIL 23. IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 371, 23 April 1910, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, APRIL 23. IMPERIAL POLITICS.

As far as we of the Dominion are allowed to know by cable the present! political situation in Britain is an acrimonious dispute between Lords and Commons. The Liberal Cabinet has justified its existence by speaking very plainly during a time fraught with the greatest possibilities for weal or woe in the past 150 years. The change that might be brought about should the power of veto be wrested from the Lords can be understood by a perusal of t'he Prime Minister's second resolution:

That it is expedient that the powers of the House of Lords respecting Bills other than Money Bills be legally restricted so that when a Bill has passed the House of Commons in three successive sessions, and has been sent to the House of Lords at least a month before the end of the session, and rejected in each of the three sessions, it shall become law without the consent of the House of Lords upon the Royal Assent being given, provided that at least two years shall elapse between ,the first introduction to the House of Commons and the date when it passes the House of Commons for the third time. Bills shall be treated as rejected if not passed by the House of Lords without amendment, or with only amendments agreed to by both Houses.

Mr. "Asquith has pointed out that the absolute veto of the Lords would not he touched except where the presumption was overwhelming that the Commons did not represent the opinion of the people, and has always shown himi self to he in favor of a Second Chamber. Even under favorable circumstances the Bill clipping the power of the Lords cannot pass for two years, I and not 'before a general election. It is, of course, also necessary for the Lords to consent to their own doom, and it is fheretore agreed in Liberal circles that the (wholesale creation of [ peers who would wear their coronets as the gift of the present Ministry, would necessarily bring their obedience. The Lords are already showing some disposition to "come to heel," for the less conservative of them recognise that mere heredity without any other qualification cannot hatch a statesman, or especially one who has the .right of veto over the elective Commoners' decisions in regard to finance measures. A partially elected Upper Chamber is also desired by many peers, so that the House of Peers should be based on democratic suffrage. Further, many peers desire to really represent the people and wish that the mere holding of a peerage shall not debar a man from seeking election to the Lower or Upper Chamber. The adoption of the Budget resolution by the Commons bv a majority of 93 was obviously secured bv a fraternity of Liberals and 'Nationalists, and out of tins incident a great deal of acrimony and accusation has arisen, the allegation being that the Chancellor of the Exchequer offered Budget bribes to Ireland as a sop for votes on the resolutions. At any rate, sixty-five Nationalists agreed to support the Budget, which will be identical with the 190!) -document in so far as it deals with land matters so strongly opposed •by Unionist Commoners and peers and in which lies the crux of the whole disagreement. The Budget for 1909-10 will probably be passed next month, and the Budget for 1910-11 will then be due, but it is unlikely tint the second will be "telescoped." The reject of the Budget by the Lords was calculated by the Chancellor to represent a loss of £28,500,000. The increment duty was the rock whereon the peers split, but the point that the increment will not affect agricultural land means much to Britain. Shortly, it may mean—supposing there is no revul- [ sion of feeling in Britain—that peers will not be able to afford to hold vast areas of land for the mere purpose of running deer and grouse. State resumption might follow, greatly to the prosperity of Britain, and a reduction of lier food imports. Britain is so little I self supporting that she could be "eaten I out" in a fortnight. The Nationalist incident and the support of this party is supposed to have been demanded at the point of the bayonet and the threats of Mr. Redmond that supposing there was no abolition of the veto there would lie no Nationalist support of the Budjet. Even if this is true the price of Nationalist support was cheaply bought | There has been a good deal of rubbish [ talked about the <bias shown by the Throne. The King's advisers are the existing • Cabinet. The King's business is to be guided not hv the Lords or the Unionists but by the men selected for the direct-elected representatives of tile people. As far as is possible the Throne of Britain is democratic, for it merely reflects the Imperial Cabinet. Hence an Imperial veto emanating direct from the King would have such serious consequence< that there is little chance of his Majesty ever using the 'Rova] prerogative in direct opposition to the will of the people expressed by his own Ministers. It seems possible that Britain has lately become wide enough awakened to partially believe that heredity gives no right in regard to State financial | matters; that heredity cannot give a peer the right to wilfully Iceep millions of people crowded into slums so that fat grouse shall use the land the people fought and died for; and that heredity does not necessarily give great brains or great hearts or an understanding of the needs of the people. The Budget if its proposals became law would take an infinitesimal proportion of wealth from the territorial lord, and would give millions of peonle a chance to breathe. It would tend to make beautiful Britain blossom. and it might, in time, even make idlers work. Who knows? We can only wait and hope.

CURRENT TOPICS BANK HOLIDAYS. If banks set the pace for the rest of the business community, the calm routine of everyday commercial life would be disturbed. If it is necessary for banks to close on various Saints' days, cnanges of the season, national red-letter days, and so on, it seems to lie feasible that grocers and ironmongers, newspapers and launderers should also close t'lieir doors. Loyalty to the memory of the patron saint of England—St. (ieorge—is quite excellent, and apparently .people who work in banks are an example to other business people in observance of the dnv. The trouble is that business people are apt to go on working, and to forget that banking business is barred. The conservatism of banking institutions is transplanted from Britain to her outposts for no apparent reason, except that these observances have 'been the custom from "time immemorial." Otherwise, there, seems to be no special reason why the insistence should proceed or be transplanted. In other forms of enterprise, banks are notable for their stubborn disregard of ordinary observance, notably in tilieir control of the lives of t'hc people in their .pay. Thus it is a- sin against a banking corporation for an employee who is not paid a specific salary to get married. The reason is supposed to be that an underpaid married man might be disposed to help himself to bullion enough to buy sufficient bread for others besides himself. There are other lawmakers in the Dominion (and elsewhere), besides Parliament, and banking laws affect a whole community, wHiicli has no veto oil the acts of bankers.

A VALUABLE TRUISM. Mr. W. Anvbury, at the meeting of the Whiteley Debating Society: "'The only men in this world who are any good are the busy men." If one has a hard job to give away, one does not present it to the loafer, and although it is a seeming anomaly, the busier a man the better he will do extra work . T'lie habit of industry is the enemy of crime. Whoever fills his working hours with work has few regrets. The gaols would be almost empty if there was no idleness. In history there have been no indolent men who have achieved celebrity. It has been the fashion sometimes for geniuses to affect indolence, but there is no record of great success, honestly achieved, by loafing. If you desire the best advice about your health you do not confer with the doctor who is too tired to attract patients. You go to the ma,n who can barely spare time to eat his meals. A corporation would not consult a tired engineer about an -important work. It would go to the man who had used every minute oi his time in the practice of liis profession. Industry is happiness, and happiness is success. A nation of people Who work is the nation that has few hospitals, few asylums, widely diffused prosperity. and a big bank balance. Inevitably in society tiie industrious support the indolent, and the indolent sow discontent. In an ideal state of society each man would be as busy as the other, and they would all be "good.' But in such an ideal world it would he necessary for every man to be physically sound, for in nature's intended failure to give all men equal physical opportunities is the reason why the strong are the busy, and the busv achieve success. Because we are all of differing capacity some are ambitious and some are not. Give lis all equality and capacity, and you kill industrial ambition —the spur to achievement.

INSURERS AND THE INSURED. Few people in the colonies really believe that Britain is quite awake, and so when a. Commonwealth commission suggests controlling insurance companies on the Enirliv.li plan it seems to be a eonriliment to English sleepiness. Of course, it cannot be definitely stated that any insurance company is cruel or without compassion, but- it is reasonable enough to aver t'liat fine points hiav be worked by some companies in order to avoid seeming liabilities. The Federal Commission has recommended that companies shall make large deposits with the Government. The largeness ot the deposits is an indication of the possible profits. But in furtherance of the protection of the insured the commission, suggests that suicide or capital punishment (under given circumstances) s?iall not debar a beneficiary under a policy from drawing the accumulated profits. An insurance company's previous refusal to pay out in such cases seems to point to a possibility that an insured person might commit suicide in order that another might benefit by his death. In the case of a person meeting his (loath at the 'hands of the common executioner it surely cannot follow that the scaffold iattracts the insured wlho desiires to benefit someone by his death. Fortunately, in New Zealand, the State undertakes many insurances, and in every reasonable ease stands by its liability. But. particularly in regard to fire insurances, some private companies cannot be complimented on tlieir methods, especially in a country where fires are all too frequent, and some cannot he explained. In the matter of small insurances, especially on goods and chattels and residences, it is a common .nrnetiec* for a company to take for granted the value of the goods for which cover is given. If all men were quite honest, this method would be excellent: but if it is alleged that "fires are ignited bv rubbing a. large policy against a small property." then it would seem to be a fair proposition for companies to take a close inventory of every stick over which cover is «iven. PRICE OF PT(!S. There is one item of news iu to-day'-issue that will be read with much interest bv locnl dairy fanners, and that is the announcement made by two of the proprietory bacon companies doing, business in the province. With 1 lie' prices at present ruling for the main products of the farm and the side lines, viz., calves and piss, the farmer ..ennj afford to be very pleased with himself. But there is one aspect of the question that is forgotten. When some tilth* time ago the price of the "gint. that v-nvs ■the riut" was reduced, fanners all over Taranaki raised a lusty cry about monopolies, and the question of Minting bacon factories v,-a« discussed. A meeting was held in New Plymouth, and a cninniittee formed to ; r n into details, but Ave have not heard of any practical result of their deliberations —unless it ithe present, rise. Even when the jivi---j

was so low. we ivr'v r:[ opinion |lri] there was still money h pic raisin;:, provided tlie fanner went, in for i< on iriroper hues and rrrit all flint was in the nn.mi'. from sucker to 'baeonev. for himself. instead of jrivinsr someone pj<c hijrh prices for wenners and so on. ,M the present .price a handsome should be made out of iliis department of the. farm. TTTR Bt'TTKT? MARKET. Writing under date of Mttrrit 11. Messrs YTeddel ami Co. tell of How tlie improvement in tile butter market, at tlml time took place. They say: "The 'possibility of a strong?: - close r.'.

hand' mentioned in this report last week has now materialised, and prices are fully Ss per cwt. higher than a week ago. This extraordinary advance in Jfarcil is unparalleled in the colonial butter trade, and, following a rise of Is in the previous week, would, miner any but most abnormal conditions, appear most dangerous. The one tiling certain is that the supply of butter has not been for some time suilicient to meet the demand, especially since the end of January, and at present no one can foresee how long this existing state of tilings is going to last. In ordinary times present prices would burst the market, but the times are extraordinary and it is ditlieult to prophesy what the immediate future will be. The present strong position of the butter market is to some extent due to the almost total absence of inferior and secondary qualities. Nothing checks the consumer's demand more than bad quality. This year Australian, Xew Zealand and Argentine butters have been excellent, with the result that nearly every family, finding the butter so good, has increased its eonsumption. In very few seasons has the consumer eaten so much cold-stored butter as in this. Last week no vessels left Australia, with 'butter, but this week four steamers have sailed with just over 73,000 boxes among them, and are due about (lie end of April. Th« Tiuapehu left Xew Zealand yesterday with 34,000 boxes of butter and 12.">0 tons of cheese. Arrivals this week are 30,1100 boxes from Australia, and they have all gone into consumption. Prices for Australian ■choicest' are 120s to 128s per cwl... and for Xew Zealand I-8s to 130s. I'nsalted butter is more plentiful this week, and prices have not made the same advance as .salted, and there is now no premium on unsalted."

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. If the returns cabled from Sydney are correct, Mr. Fisher -was a little kicky in securing so large a majority an he did in the Federal House of Representatives at the elections last week. It is stated that of the valid totes recorded at the polls (io;S..'iS2 were cast for Labor candidates, 577.10-1 for Fusionists and 5(>,4-lS for Independents, and we presume that the remaining !)!)!)() votes were awarded to candidates who were not attached to either of the recognised parties. If the election had been held under a system of proportional representation, giving each vote its proper value in determining the result, thirtyseven Labor candidates, thirty Fusionists and one Independent would have been returned, instead of 44 labor candidates. 30 Fusionists, and one Independent, which seem to be the latest official figures. The Lyttelton Times, commenting on the subject, says: "We are afraid that if this analysis of the voting should be confirmed by a closer examination of the figures it will tend to confirm the Labor Party in its prejudice against a system that would give a just share of representation to minorities, but the voting for the Senate suggests that the party would fare better with larger constituencies than with small ones, and Mr. Fisher <is statesman enough to realise that no Ministry can be really strong unless it rests on the sure foundation of .public approval, hi this respect he has sonic reason to be disappointed by the proportion of electors on the roli who recorded their votes. The percentage certainly was more satisfactory than that recorded at the previous election, but in New Zealand, where we are accustomed to 80 p?r cent, of the electors going to the poll, oS.To per cent, appears to be a rather noor response to the appeals of a small army of more or less eloquent candidates and cantassers. As a matter of fact, Mr, Fisher's great victory has been given to him by fewer than 30 per cent, of the men and women who were entitled to vote."